Spring oiler



H. NORRIS.

SPRING OILER.

APPLlCATlON man MAYIB. r921.

1,41 5,263, Patented May 9, 1922.

d INVENTOR J [/j /l HALLrn NORRIS, or rirrsennsn, rmmsrnvlmm.

SPRING OILER.

amazes.

Application filed May 16,

I a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to devices for lubricating leaf springs and for similar purposes.

This invention is directed to a type of oiler such as that shown in Letters Patent, No. 1,356,111, granted to me October 19, 1920, and this invention aims to improve that oiler. In the type of oiler shown in the above-mentioned patent, the construction is open to the objection that the uncovered felt material which retains the lubricant, by reason of its natural fuzzy structure, and by reason of the fact that it is saturated with oil, acts to catch and retain dust, dirt and grit, which may be carried by the lubricant into the mechanism to be oiled, with damaging effect. A further objection to that type of oiler is that the wires employed for shaping and for giving spring pressure cannot be inserted through the integral body of the felt without distortion of the wire or the felt, thus causing the finished article to be more or less twisted and unsymmetrical in shape.

One object of my present invention is to provide an oiler of the above type which shall be as nearly dust-proof as possible.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved structure which shall facilitate the assembly of the device and shall obtain better lubrication.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a side elevational view of an elliptical ve-' hicle spring provided with several of my improved spring oilers; Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the spring oilers shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the oilers applied to a spring; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the absorbent material, with its reinforcing wire, before it is shaped into the form of the finished oiler; Fig. 5 is an enlarged typical cross sectional view of the reinforced felt material; and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of a spring having a modified form of my improved oiler applied thereto.

Fig. 1 of the drawings shows an elliptical vehicle spring 2, which may be of any ordinary or desired construction, having thereon Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1%22.

1921. Serial No. 469,917.

several of the oilers designated generally by the numeral 3.

Each of the oilers 3 is of the construction best shown 1n Figs. 2 and 3, and consists of a heavy felt oil-retaining member 4, having one or more reinforcing and shaping wires 5 extending centrally therethrough. Before being placed in position on the spring, the member 4 is bent into the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3, having two opposed U-shaped clamping portions 4: and an intermediate coiled portion P, as in my former patent) The wire 5 preferably has a certain amount of'resilience, so as to hold the oiler firmly upon vehicle springs or other parts to be oiled. In fitting the oiler to a vehicle spring, the central coils 4" may be made larger or smaller, so as to adjust the end portions 4 to the Width and thickness of the vehicle spring. The end portions are then pressed firmly against the spring by means of pliers or otherwise.

The oil-retaining member 4: is formed of two or more strips of soft'felt 4?, preferably sewed together as indicated at 6, the stitching being so arranged as to provide a central space for the easy insertion of the reinforcing wire 5. Two rows of stitching are ordinarily suflicient, but four rows or more may be employed if desired. The member d may be provided with a covering 7 for protecting the felt from gathering dust, dirt and grit. This covering may be composed of linen or any other suitable close-woven fabric which will exclude dust, or may consist of waterproof material, such as oilcloth, oiled linen, or the like. This material may be sewed on the member 4 by the same stitchingwhich unites the several strips of felt, or it may be. attached separately by stitching, gluing, orotherwise.

In Fig; 5, which is a typical cross-sectional view of the member l, I have shown the covering 7 as extending entirely around the felt member 4:, thus casing it throughout and protecting it against dust and grit. In this case an unwaterproofed material such as linen may be employed, andthatpart of the cover which does not engage the part to be oiled may, if desired, be subsequently treated to make it waterproof. If an allwater-- proof material, like oil-cloth, is employed, that part only of the member 4 which does not engage the spring would be covered, and the free ends of the oil-cloth covering at the sides of the-member l would terminate at felt with a coating described as being low points I the side edge adjacent to the spring, and would be attached to the felt by stitching or by any other suitable attaching means. In

this way, the waterproof covering protects the oiler but does not prevent the oil from freely reaching the spring.

In order to protect the ends of the member l; from gathering dust, and to prevent the oil'from dripping from these points, I provide the ends with a suitable non-absorbent cap,indicated by the numeral 8. This cap may be formedby shellacking the ends of the felt, or by applying sealing-wax, pitch or other coating material, thus making the ends. of the oiler non-porous, or a separate cap of non-absorbing material may be attacl ed to the ends of the felt.

"In Fig. (3 I have shown a modified form of my improved oiler -in which the oil, grease :or thelike is supplied to the oiler by means of a grease cup 10, preferably attached to the member 4; between the coils f, the connecting portion 10 of the cup having perforations which are in contact with the felt'between the coils, as indicated at 10 I The stitching together of the laminations or strips which form the member 4 aids considerablyin retaining the shape of the oiler afterbeing bent into form; by sewing in this manner, the soft and spongy felt material is held together Without impairing its absorbing qualities. Further, by forming the member 4.- in this manner, insertion of the reinforcing wire is facilitated, as the wire may be placed betweenthe laminations beforesewing, or may easily be inserted in the space between the stitching after sewing. In place of two thick laminations I may use four or more thin layers. By sewing the felt together waste stock of various thicknesses, and the sewing also has the advantage of producing a solidly built structure. The cover may be in the form of a separate sheath of sheet material, as described above, or it may be formed by treating the outer surface of the substance such as I have I applied to the ends 8 of the oiler.

From the above description of the invention it will be seen that by providing a cover forthe absorbent material dirt and grit are effectually excluded from the lubricant, and at the same time the lubricant, being confined-within the cover and between. the part to'be oiled, cannot waste by dripping at the of the oiler before coming in contact with the part to be oiled. The wire in this manner I can use upreinforcement serves both to retain the shape of the oilerxand to clamp the oiler firmly upon the vehicle spring.

What I claim is:

V 1. A spring oiler comprising a body of oil-absorbing material, having a permanently attached protective covering, and reinforcing means contained within the said body of oil-absorbing material.

2. A spring oiler comprising a laminated body of oil-absorbing material having a protective covering of sheet material, and wire reinforcing means contained within the said body of oil-absorbing material.

3. A spring oiler comprising a laminated body of oil-absorbing material having a protective. covering of sheet material, and resilient wire reinforcing means contained within the said body of oil-absorbing material.

4. A spring oiler. comprising a: plurality of laminations of oil-absorbing material sewed together, and reinforcing means associated with. said oil-absorbing material and serving to retain the shape thereof.

5. A spring oiler comprising aplurality of laminations of oil-absorbing material sewed together, a protective covering surrounding the said absorbing material, and wire reinforcing means disposed between the said laminations andserving to retain the shape thereof. i

6. A spring oiler comprising a plurality of laminations of oil-absorbing material sewed together, a protective covering surrounding the said absorbing material, and resilient wire reinforcing means disposed be tween the said laminations and serving :to retain the shape thereof. Y

-7. A spring oiler comprising a body of oil-a "SOIbillg' material composed of a pluralityof superposed strips and a covering, said strips and covering being sewed together surrounding said body. and wire reinforcing means contained within the said body between the said laminations.

S. A spring oiler formed of felt or: the like, having reinforcing means therein, the exterior or non-oiling portions of the oiler being provided with a permanently attached protective covering and the oiling portions of the oiler being left uncovered.

in testlmony whereof, I, thesaid I-IALLIE Norms, have hereunto set my hand.

HALLIE NORRIS. Witnesses i It. D; BROWN, JOHN F. WILL. 

